Yu-Gi-Oh! Xross
by Hawkatana
Summary: Smart-talking duelist and 1st-year high school student Yuga Senku is thrust into an inter-universal war between the Arkons of Aeon and his own world! What mysteries lie in this world beyond the mirror? Who or what is the mysterious Cross Magician? How does the prestigious Libra Co. factor into this? Where has his mother gone? Only with his skill and wit shall he find out...
1. Drive 001

**Hawk: Well, since this has been on the backburner for a while, I thought I might as well add this: Yu-Gi-Oh! Xross! Just something to note, this doesn't really have anything to do with any existing Yu-Gi-Oh! series beyond the card game and maybe a few references here and there, other than that, it's its own universe for all intensive purposes, kinda like VRAINS. I've probably been blabbing on too much, so let's get straight to it!**

* * *

 **Drive 001: The one who moves onwards! Yuga Senku!**

"Well this sucks." A male voice said, obviously bored.

"School doesn't start for a while, everything is closed for today, can't duel anyone right now… This couldn't be much worse."

This boy was about 16, wearing a red jacket with white at the top and black highlights over a white T-shirt with a "39" on it, as well as green jeans, a brown belt and a keychain resembling the Millennium Puzzle. He had silver hair with red bangs & blue highlights pointing off in an "X"-shape with a "V" at the front and hazel eyes. He had black fingerless gloves with a cyan star on the right one and a black duel disk on his left wrist.

"Sigh. *great*…"

 _ **(A/N: Whenever these ** appear, that means the dialogue is in English in-universe as opposed to Japanese)**_

Suddenly, his duel disk started vibrating, with text saying: INCOMING CALL FROM: RYOMA, with a green phone icon and a red one, he detached the duel disk from the wristband and pressed the green one, before putting it up to his ear.

"Hey Ryoma. What's up?"

"You know why Yuga, you start school tomorrow. Shouldn't you be preparing?"

"Don't worry so much! I'll be fine! I'll be back before you know it!" Ryoma sighed.

"Fine. I'll see you then." The line then cut. Yuga quietly laughed to himself.

"Older brothers…" He began walking down the street before taking out his deck and smiling.

"Can't wait to try you guys out. You're so good, I might actually stick with you!" He sighed and put it back in his pocket.

"Too bad You're not finished yet." Behind him, a shadowy figure stared at him intently.

"There. More target practice. Hehehe, this is too easy."

Yuga stopped at a building with a sign that read 'Game Brain'.

"I guess this could help the unfinished deck problem." He entered the building to a plethora of various board & other 'family-friendly' games. At the end there were a set of stairs going up with 'Floor 2" written on the wall.

Yuga shrugged and walked up them to be greeted by several different Tabletop RPG's and card games being hung on the walls. Yuga picked off a pack and walked up to the counter in time to hear a broadcast on a radio.

"3 more people have suddenly gone missing in Haven City in the past 24 hours, this makes the amount of missing persons cases in the past week add up to 46. None of the people seem to share anything in common and were not known to each other, puzzling the police."

"46? *Holy crap*, that's a lot for one week."

Yuga handed over the pack and the amount it was worth.

"Here you go." The store clerk handed the pack back to him. He looked over to his left.

"Hey, is that card yours?" He pointed to a face-down card on the counter. Yuga picked it up and looked at it.

"Cross Magician? Can't say I've even heard of it. Looks sorta decent, though. Don't mind if I do." He took the card and put it into his deck.

"H-Hey! That could be someone else's!" The clerk exclaimed. Yuga turned back.

"Well they would have returned by now, wouldn't they?" He then walked out of the store. "C-Come back here!" Yelled the clerk, exacerbated.

Yuga continued to walk past multiple people and buildings not really going anywhere.

"*Damn*, none of these cards are particularly helpful." He then looked over to a building's ground-floor windows, he saw a strange man looking at him in the reflection. He looked around, but no sign of the man.

"Huh. That's weird, must've imagined it." Yuga continued walking on. He passed another building and looked into a window, the man was there again, but again, only in the reflection.

"Get it together, Yuga!" He started to head back to his own house before walking past a third windowed building

"*Nope*! I'm not looking at the reflection!"

"Well, that's fine, I didn't need you to." Yuga quickly looked around in panic, looking for the voice's point of origin.

"W-Where are- Mmf!" He barely managed to finish before he was grabbed from behind from the mirror and dragged into it.

Yuga was exposed to strange kaleidoscope-like imagery before falling onto the ground.

"Argh… What the hell?!" He got back up and looked around but no-one was there.

"Come back here you little-" He stopped as he saw who was around him, or rather, who wasn't.

"Where is everyone? The whole place looks deserted." There was also something else that seemed off, but Yuga couldn't exactly put his finger on it.

"Hey! Anyone? Hello?" Still no-one.

"This is getting creepy." He kept looking around until he saw something.

"Hang on, this sign is back-to-front! What's going on here?!"

"I can answer that question." Yuga turned around to come face-to-face with the same man that appeared in the reflections crouching on the roof, now he could get a good look at him. The man looked pretty disheveled and unkempt, he had messy longish white-blonde hair and red eyes, he was wearing a black aviator jacket.

"*Hey you!* You're the creepy guy I saw in the windows!" Yuga called out. The man scoffed at him.

"The very same. Let me guess, you want out of the Mirror Dimension?"

Yuga looked at the man with a cautious expression.

"What is it to you? Also, what's the Mirror Dimension?" The man jumped down from the roof.

"I'm not just some 'creepy guy', my name is Raiz. Don't lump me in with your pathetic kind." He said, visibly annoyed.

"Also, as for the Mirror Dimension-"

"Wait, rest of your kind? Are you telling me you're not human?" Raiz looked even more annoyed than before.

"You, shut the hell up. As I was saying, the Mirror Dimension is, as the name suggests: an echo of your disgusting little world. Why it's based on your world more than mine, I have no idea."

"*Whoa*, so what was that about not being human?" Yuga asked.

"Ah, that. I'm what you might call an Arkon: an enlightened being far above anything humans will ever become. Go on, punch me."

Yuga cracked his knuckles and smirked.

"Gladly." He threw a punch square in Raiz's face, he didn't even flinch.

"What?!" Raiz chuckled and grabbed Yuga's wrist.

"Do you see now?" He then threw him off to the left into a cement column.

"ARGH! Crap... Tha- That's gonna hurt." Yuga said, obviously in pain, as he staggered to get up.

"I have a proposition for you, human." Raiz said.

"That being?" Yuga weakly asked in response.

"Only those with a King's Mark can go between the three worlds." Raiz held up a red mark on his left hand that resembled the kanji for king (王).

"Cool." Yuga remarked. "Where do I get one of those?"

"There's only one way." Raiz smirked confidently at him.

"A competition or battle of some kind. Your choice, of course."

Yuga smirked himself.

"My choice? Well then, it would have to be Duel Monsters."

Raiz started to laugh quietly.

"I was hoping you'd say that." His left arm was engulfed in a dark-red light, before it subsided and took on the form of a dark-red Duel Disk purely made of energy and a full deck already loaded.

"Wait, you were behind the disappearances of those 46 people this past week?" Yuga asked. Raiz laughed again.

"So what if I am behind their disappearances?" Yuga started sweating.

"How can I be certain you won't try to weasel out of this?" Raiz put his hand over his heart.

"I give my word." Yuga backed up.

 _So... My only way of here getting out is through dueling a sociopathic creepy guy who sits like a gargoyle while using an unfinished deck and losing means death or something worse?_ He thought to himself. _I like those odds._ He smirked confidently and loaded his deck into his Duel Disk as a cyan blade materialised.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?"

Raiz grinned.

"Let's go, then!"

"DUEL!" They both shouted.

 **Yuga: 4000**

 **Raiz: 4000**

"I think I'll start this off! *My Turn*!" Exclaimed Yuga.

 _Ergh… This is not a good hand. Let's hope for the best_. Thought Yuga.

"I summon Krysta Kitsune!" A red orb appeared on Yuga's side of the field before absorbing fiery energy to take on the form of an ethereal, red nine-tailed fox with an upward pointing triangle on its forehead.

 **Krysta Kitsune, Level: 4**

 **FIRE, Beast/Effect, ATK: 1600 DEF: 1400 (Attack Position)**

"1600? That's the best you can pull off? I don't know what I expected out of you." Raiz remarked.

Yuga raised his eyebrow at him.

"Really? You do realise I'm building on this, right?"

He then held up a spell card.

"Continuous Spell! Krysta Regen! It allows me to send the top card of my deck to the Graveyard during my Standby Phase, and add a Krysta monster from my Graveyard to my hand!" Raiz still wasn't looking impressed.

"And now, I activate the Spell Card Krysta Transmutation!" Krysta Kitsune jumped into the air and destroyed itself.

"This card allows me to Special Summon a Krysta with the same level but a different attribute from my deck!" Kitsune's core turned orange and absorbed energy from the earth and took on a bull-like form with a downward pointing triangle with a horizontal line through it on its forehead.

"I summon Krysta Taurus!" Taurus took an aggressive stance and roared at Raiz.

 **Krysta Taurus, Level: 4**

 **EARTH, Beast/Effect, ATK: 1800 DEF: 900 (Attack Position)**

"I set one card face-down and end my turn! *Your turn*!" Raiz began his turn.

"My turn, Draw!" He looked at the card he drew and started laughing hysterically.

"That can't be good." Yuga gulped in preparation of what could happen.

"I already have all the means to bring out one of my best monsters!" Raiz could barely say the sentence coherently due to the laughing.

"I set Trump Fiend - Red Joker as a Drive Zone!" He set a half-orange half-dark red card similar to a Pendulum Monster upside-down in his main monster zone.

"*Oh crap*." Yuga mumbled. A yellow pillar of energy shot down from the sky and landed on Raiz's field, where it continued to shine.

 **Trump Fiend - Red Joker, Level: 1**

 **LIGHT, Fiend/Driver/Effect, ATK: 0 DEF: 0 Drive: 10 (Drive Zone)**

"So, I'd assume you know what I'm going to do next?" Raiz insultingly asked.

Yuga tightened his fist.

"You're going to Overdrive Summon, right? Bring out a monster with a Limit equal to the difference between Red Joker's Drive & one of your monster's levels?"

Raiz smirked.

"Exactly. I Summon Trump Fiend - Club Jack into my Drive Zone!" A dark grey, demonic and grotesque being with red eyes and wearing bone armour emblazoned with a stylised red 'Clubs' symbol in the center. It was holding a regal-looking staff.

 **Trump Fiend - Club Jack, Level: 4**

 **FIRE, Fiend/Effect, ATK: 1700 DEF: 0 (Attack Position)**

"Now then, prepare for your end, Human! I Overdrive my Level 4 Club Jack with my Drive 10 Red Joker!" Raiz yelled.

"Oh shit..." Yuga mumbled. Club Jack absorbed all of the energy in the pillar and exploded in a flash of light.

"13th Demon of fire heralded by the fool! Walk upon this earth once again and assert your dominance on this puny world!"

Raiz raised his hand up to the light and clenched his fist.

"Limit… BREAK! Overdrive Summon! Appear! Limit 6! Trump Fiend - Club Ace!"

A demonic creature similar to Club Jack stood where the pillar once was. Although his armour was gold, his staff was longer and was overall larger than Jack. He had a pair of fiery wings on its back.

 **Trump Fiend - Club Ace, Limit: 6**

 **FIRE, Fiend/Overdrive/Effect, ATK: 2800 DEF: 0 (Attack Position)**

"Wait, that's it? A Limit 6? I mean, it's not bad, but you actually scared me for a moment!" Yuga joked.

"Grr… I activate Club Ace's Effect!" Raiz angrily responded.

"When he's Overdrive Summoned, he can destroy all monsters you control! Seal of Clubs!" Club Ace's staff started glowing red, he circled it around to create a magic circle with a "clubs" symbol in the middle, he swiped through it and at Krysta Taurus.

"*Yeah, no*, I activate the Trap Card Destruct Construct! My monsters are safe from destruction once this turn!" The energy from Club Ace's staff was swallowed up by a hypercube that appeared in its way before the hypercube disappeared.

Raiz scowled.

"Rgh… No matter, normally using this effect wouldn't allow my to enter my Battle Phase, but I activate my Quick-Play Spell Decree of Attack. When one of my card's effects states that I can't declare my Battle Phase, I can ignore that restriction."

"*I call hax*." cried Yuga.

Raiz smirked.

"You may have been able to avoid effect destruction, but that glorified cow of yours is going one way or another! I attack Krysta Taurus with Trump Fiend - Club Ace!" Club Ace's staff began glowing again, this time he rushed straight at Yuga's monster and cut it in half, knocking Yuga back.

 **Yuga: 4000 → 3000**

"Gaah! What the? That felt like it actually hit me." Yuga managed to say.

"The very nature of the Mirror Dimension grants monsters physical forms. When your Life Points fall to zero, you will almost certainly die from the wounds you sustain." Raiz smugly remarked.

Yuga struggled to stand up, but managed to do so by leaning against a window. He then heard a tapping on the other side of the glass.

"Huh?" He turned around to see a girl about his age with blue eyes and pink hair worn in 2 ponytails going halfway down her arms with burgundy streaks through the tails. She was wearing a black anime-esque school uniform.

"And I thought my hair was crazy." Yuga joked.

Raiz looked over at the girl.

"Oh look, another target. You'll have to wait your turn though."

 _That's not good. If I can't win this, then these kidnappings will just keep continuing. And after me it's…_ He looked over at the girl again. _I don't care what it takes, this spree is stopping at 46!_

"Alternatively, I could win and take that mark thing so I can go home. Let's go with that one, shall we?"

Raiz began laughing again.

"Well then human, let's see what you can do! I set 2 cards face-down and end my turn!"

Yuga smirked confidently.

"It's not over just yet! Destruct Construct's second effect activates! I can summon a monster from my deck with ATK lower than or equal to the damage I just took!" He picked out a card from his deck.

"I think I'll summon Krysta Ondine!" A blue core materialised and absorbed aquatic energy to take on a half-humanoid half-fishlike body with a downward-pointing triangle on its forehead.

 **Krysta Ondine, Level: 3**

 **WATER, Aqua/Effect, ATK: 900 DEF: 1600 (Defense Position)**

Yuga breathed a sigh of relief.

 _That'll hold him off for a turn or so._ He placed his hand over his deck. _Let's hope that's enough!_

"*My turn, Draw*!" He looked at the card he drew.

"Nice! Krysta Regen's effect activates! I add Krysta Kitsune back to my hand by sending the top card of my deck to the graveyard!"

Raiz didn't look phased at all.

"It doesn't matter whether it's one monster or a hundred, they'll still be useless against me." Yuga gritted his teeth as he sent the top card of his deck to the graveyard.

"I now activate Pot of Desires! This card allows me to-"

"I know what Pot of Desires does. I don't need a filthy human to remind me." An obviously annoyed Raiz interrupted him mid-sentence.

"Okay, jeez." He then banished the top 10 cards of his deck and drew his 2 cards.

 _Overdrive Emergency? Like that's going to be useful!_ He then sighed and held up a card.

"Spell Card, Krysta Invocation! This card allows me to special summon 2 Krysta monsters from my hand with different attributes in Defense Position by negating their effects! I summon back Krysta Kitsune!" The same red core appeared and took its form.

 **Krysta Kitsune, Level: 4**

 **FIRE, Beast/Effect, 1600 DEF: 1400 (Defense Position)**

"I also summon Krysta Lycan!" A purple core materialised and absorbed the nearby darkness, only for it to take on the form of a wolf with over-pronounced features and a horizontal line on its forehead.

 **Krysta Lycan, Level: 4**

 **DARK, Beast/Effect, 1800 DEF: 1200 (Defense Position)**

"I now set a card face-down and end my turn. *You're up*!" Yuga said.

Raiz maniacally drew a card.

"My turn, draw!" He grinned when he saw the card.

"This will reduce any chance you have at winning to piss in the wind. Spell Card! Suit Change!" Club Ace started glowing.

"This card allows me to return a Trump Fiend monster to my deck in order to summon another Trump Fiend with the same ATK but a different attribute! I return Club Ace to the Extra Deck!" Club Ace kneeled and was then engulfed in light.

"13th Demon of water heralded by the fool! Walk upon this earth once again and crush all foolish enough to stand in your path! Appear! Limit 6! Trump Fiend - Heart Ace!" A being similar to Club Ace appeared, but with a blue "hearts" emblem on its chest, wings made of water instead of fire and a dagger & chalice instead of a staff.

 **Trump Fiend - Heart Ace, Limit: 6**

 **WATER, Fiend/Overdrive/Effect, ATK: 2800 DEF: 0 (Attack Position)**

"I forgot to mention, if I summoned an Overdrive monster with Suit Change's effect, it's treated as an Overdrive Summon."

Yuga stared at Raiz in disbelief.

"How's that fair!?" Raiz ignored the question.

"When Heart Ace is Overdrive Summoned, all monsters you control lose their ATK and effects! Seal of Hearts!" Heart Ace tipped its chalice towards Yuga's field, flooding it in a black liquid which restrained his monsters before forming a blue magic circle with a "hearts" symbol in the centre.

 **Krysta Kitsune**

 **ATK: 1600 → 0**

 **Krysta Lycan**

 **ATK: 1800 → 0**

 **Krysta Ondine**

 **ATK: 900 → 0**

"I swear, if you have another Decree of Attack, I'll kick a puppy." Yuga complained.

"Fortunately for you, I don't have another one in my hand right now." Raiz held up a monster.

"But I can summon Trump Fiend - Diamond Queen!" Diamond Queen appeared on the field, it was similar to Club Jack, but more feminine, with a yellow "Diamonds" emblem instead and wielding a chakram.

 **Trump Fiend - Diamond Queen, Level: 4**

 **EARTH, Fiend/Effect, ATK: 1600 DEF: 0 (Attack Position)**

"I'll end my turn there."

Yuga drew a card

"*My turn, Draw*!" He frowned upon seeing his card.

 _Brutal Brawl!? I know this deck isn't finished, but I'm sure I made my deck better than this!_

"I set a card face-down and end my turn." He turned to the girl back in the real world and gave her a thumbs-up to reassure her, only for her to shrug in response.

"Tough crowd." Yuga mumbled.

"You don't know when to quit, do you?" Raiz taunted

"My turn, draw!" He threw the card he had just drawn up into the air before catching it with his other hand without even looking at it.

"Show off." Yuga muttered.

Raiz looked at his card and smiled insanely, before turning to Yuga.

"Dude! Can you stop laughing? It's getting really annoying!" Yuga said angrily.

"I think we're finished here. This card will end you this turn." Raiz began laughing so hysterically, he could barely stand.

"Spell Card! Archfiend's Execution!" Heart Ace started glowing purple.

"I can target a Fiend-type monster I control and force all monsters with lower ATK into Attack Position!" Heart Ace leapt into the air before slamming the ground with its fist. This created a shockwave that launched all of Yuga's monsters into the air, switching them to Attack Position.

 **Krysta Kitsune**

 **(Defense Position) → (Attack Position)**

 **Krysta Lycan**

 **(Defense Position) → (Attack Position)**

 **Krysta Ondine**

 **(Defense Position) → (Attack Position)**

"Oh crap." Yuga knew that he'd lose if he didn't do anything soon, he'd lose.

"That's not all! I also get to destroy a monster you control! Now which one should I choose?"

Yuga smirked in response.

"Not gonna happen! Krysta Ondine protects all Krysta monsters from being targeted by card effects! Looks like you wasted a card there."

Raiz looked at him condescendingly.

"I never said that this effect targeted, I just said it destroyed. But thank you for telling me that, now I know who I'll destroy! Say goodbye to Krysta Ondine!" The purple aura surrounding Hear Ace gathered into an orb of energy and rammed itself at Ondine before imploding, taking her with it.

 _All according to plan._ Yuga thought with a small smirk in his face.

"This is the beginning of the end for you, human! Diamond Queen, attack Krysta Lycan!" Diamond Queen threw her chakram at Lycan, when Yuga said...

"Are you sure about that?"

Raiz stared at him, genuinely concerned.

"What?"

"I activate the effect of Krysta Ondine in my graveyard! All battle damage I take this turn involving Krysta monsters is halved! I'm safe for another turn, it seems." Moments before the chakram hit, a cyan barrier shielded Yuga from most of the blast.

 **Yuga: 3000 → 2200**

"Ergh…!" Yuga was pushed back slightly by the blast.

"Now, Trump Fiend - Heart Ace! Attack Krysta Kitsune!" Heart Ace's dagger began glowing blue, it threw the dagger into the air, only for it to rapidly multiply and stop midair. The daggers then pointed themselves at Yuga's monster and violently sped in its direction, tearing it to shreds.

 **Yuga: 2200 → 800**

"GAAAAAA!" Yuga was sent hurtling back into the wall, breaking the window in the process.

"*Tha-That all you got*? I'm not done yet…" Yuga strained out. He tried to stand, but he had no strength to lift him up.

"Well then. It looks like your mouth has gotten you into a situation you can't get out of. I end my turn here, face it, you're pathetic." Raiz taunted, fighting back laughter.

Yuga glared at Raiz angrily.

"What did you call me?" Raiz smugly replied: "Pathetic, like a worm taking on a wolf. You can't win against me, no human can." Raiz began laughing again.

Yuga clenched his fists and struggled to stand up.

"No-one's gonna call me pathetic ever again, No more!" He brushed off the glass and managed to get up, walking back towards Raiz.

"My turn, draw!" He violently thrusted the arm that held the card out to the right before slowly taking a look at it.

 _No. This card is useless… I'm done…_ All the cockiness he had shown during the duel vanished from his face as tears started welling up in his eyes.

" _This is perfect. We are going to win this duel._ " Yuga's eyes darted around.

"Who's that? Where are you?!"

The voice spoke again.

" _You know very well who I am, you took my power for yourself, after all._ " Yuga started frantically thinking what that meant, until he remembered.

 _Cross Magician? Can't say I've even heard of it. Looks sorta decent, though._ Yuga put the card he drew in his hand. _Cross Magician, that's right, I have that card now. It's all or nothing from here on out!_

Raiz's smile became increasingly disturbing.

"Oh dear, did you hit your head too hard? Or are you just grasping for a miracle? Either way, this is too fun!" He laughed even harder and more insanely than before.

"Show me your last-ditch effort! Show me your desperation! SHOW ME YOUR DESPAIR!"

"Calm the hell down, Raiz-kun." Yuga smugly remarked.

Raiz stopped laughing and glared furiously at Yuga.

"What did you call me?"

Yuga wiped the tears out of his eyes.

"I called you Raiz-kun. You're talking and carrying yourself like a greater scope villain, but you don't look like you're in charge, so just calm down for a bit."

Raiz was fuming.

"Raiz-kun? Raiz-KUN?! RAIZ-KUN?! Who gave you pathetic humans the right to talk down to me like that?! No-one! That's who! You forget yourself! Just who the hell do you think you are that you can talk to me like that?!" Raiz madly ranted.

Yuga stepped into a stance and held up his right hand.

"I am the saviour of the human world and all life that thrives on it… I am Yuga." He then held his hand in front of his face and struck a pose. "Yuga Senku!"

Raiz chuckled slightly.

"You? The saviour of the human world? Don't patronise me."

"*Shut up*, I am if I say I am." Yuga breathed in and out.

"Krysta Regen's effect activates! I send the top card of my deck to the graveyard to return Krysta Taurus to my hand!" The top card of his deck was automatically sent to the graveyard as he picked the card he wanted out of it.

He held up a monster.

"I set Krysta Soul as a Drive Zone!" Yuga placed his monster upside-down in the main monster zone, much like Raiz set Red Joker, and a yellow pillar erupted on his field.

 **Krysta Soul, Level: 1**

 **LIGHT, Fairy/Driver/Effect, ATK: 0 DEF: 0 Drive: 1 (Drive Zone)**

"What could you possibly planning to do with a Drive 1?" Raiz scoffed.

Yuga shook his head.

"You really don't understand combo game, do you Raiz-kun?" Raiz scowled as he was called that.

"Krysta Taurus's effect also activates! I can special summon him to a Drive Zone I control!" Taurus's core flashed onto his side of the field and took shape.

 **Krysta Taurus, Level: 4**

 **EARTH, Beast/Effect, ATK: 1800 DEF: 900 (Attack Position)**

"I now activate Krysta Soul's ability! I can make its Drive equal to double the amount of the monster in its Zone! So that makes it a Drive 8!"

 **Krysta Soul**

 **Drive: 1 → 8**

Yuga lifted his hand towards the sky.

"Let's go! I Overdrive my Level 4 Krysta Taurus with my Drive 8 Krysta Soul!" Krysta Taurus reverted to its core, and absorbed all the energy from the Drive Zone, before exploding in a flash of light.

"Wizard that exists between worlds! Rain your judgement upon the wicked!" Yuga clenched his fist. "Limit… BREAK!"

A luminous figure descended over Yuga's field.

"Overdrive Summon! Appear! Limit 4! Cross Magician!"

The light surrounding the figure shattered to reveal a man with a red 'X'-shaped breastplate over a long black coat holding a black rod with a silver 'X' at the end with the top 2 prongs being longer than the others. He was wearing a black helmet with a silver 'X' over it and 2 blue gems where the eyes would be. His arms were decorated with several different gold & silver armbands.

 **Cross Magician, Limit: 4**

 **DARK, Spellcaster/Overdrive/Effect, ATK: 2500 DEF: 2000 (Attack Position)**

Raiz staggered.

"No. No that's not possible! You couldn't possibly have-!"

Yuga interrupted him.

"Oh couldn't I? I guess this is just proof that I really am humanity's saviour. Huh Raiz-kun?"

Raiz looked genuinely scared.

"I-Impossible…!"

Yuga pointed at Raiz's monsters.

"Cross Magician! Attack Trump Fiend - Diamond Queen!" The 'X' on Cross Magician's rod split in half and snapped into the shape of a sword, with a yellow energy blade appearing where the longer prongs were. He ran up on thin air towards Diamond Queen before dropping down slicing it diagonally, then landing and slicing it the other way in an "X" shape.

 **Raiz: 4000 → 3100**

"What?! He actually dealt damage to me?!" Raiz exclaimed, evidently frustrated.

Yuga breathed a sigh of relief. _What do you know? I think I might actually win this!_ He thought to himself.

Cross Magician turned to face him.

" _Yuga, was it? Don't be afraid to use my ability if need be._ "

"Oh yeah, that could be helpful!" Yuga gave a thumbs-up to his new monster.

"I think I'll end my turn here. *Your turn*!"

Raiz furiously glared at him.

"You… You'll pay for that insult! My turn, draw!"

He took one look at the card and instantly played it the moment he saw it.

"I activate Suit Change!"

 _Oh god, not ANOTHER one._ Yuga thought.

Heart Ace began glowing.

"I return Heart Ace back to the Extra Deck, so I can summon back Club Ace!" Heart Ace exploded in white light, only for Club Ace to stand again.

 **Trump Fiend - Club Ace, Limit: 6**

 **FIRE, Fiend/Overdrive/Effect, ATK: 2800 DEF: 0 (Attack Position)**

"And as you know, this summon is treated as an Overdrive Summon, so your Cross Magician isn't staying around any longer!" Club Ace started charging its attack.

" _Yuga, NOW!_ "

"*Got it*! I activate Cross Magician's effect! When he would be destroyed by a card effect, I can negate his destruction and destroy another card on the field!" Yuga pointed directly at Club Ace.

"Guess which card I pick?" Club Ace launched its effect at Cross Magician, only for it to vanish into nothing, before appearing again behind Club Ace, destroying it.

"NO! NO NO NO NO! I'm not losing! I Refuse to lose to a human! DO YOU HEAR ME?! I REFUSE!" Raiz screeched.

"Calm down Raiz-kun, it's just a game." Yuga said, tauntingly.

Raiz in a fit of rage grabbed a nearby concrete pillar and pulled it out of place.

"I REFUSE TO LOSE TO YOU!" He threw it at Yuga like a javelin.

Yuga braced himself for impact, but the pillar vanished.

"Are you so pathetic you can't even take a loss, Raiz?" Yuga opened his eyes and looked around to see a tall-ish man with straight, cyan shoulder-length hair and orange eyes. He was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt over a pair of grey pants and brown boots. He had an orange King's Mark on his left hand.

"Tch! Veiss… The last thing I need right now is you hovering over me like you're my babysitter. I don't need your help." Raiz said in disgust.

Veiss walked towards him.

"I'm not here to help, I've come because _you-know-who's_ been active recently."

Raiz's eyes widened.

"Impossible… You don't mean… Agito, do you?"

"The very same." Veiss's tone was unflinchingly serious.

"*Uh, hey*. You guys wouldn't mind telling me who this Agito guy is, would you?" Yuga asked.

"That's none of your business!" Raiz snapped.

"To repeat what he said, that information is highly confidential. It's leagues above what you humans should know." Veiss replied calmly.

"Good to know I'm appreciated." Yuga grumbled under his breath.

Veiss glared at Raiz.

"Your little stunt is drawing unwanted attention in the human world. Do you know how much longer until they discover our existence?"

Raiz scoffed at Veiss's warnings.

"So what if they do? We outnumber and overpower them in almost every single way, what threat could the humans pose?"

"This isn't your, nor my call, Raiz." Veiss said, disappointed.

"This order comes directly from the council. You are to be punished for activities threatening secrecy. Your punishment is your King's Mark being revoked."

Raiz started laughing nervously.

"I-If this is just some joke Veiss, I'll have your head for this. It's not funny. Hehehe…"

Veiss closed his eyes and sighed.

"You know me, Raiz. I don't joke." All hope drained from Raiz's face as he fell to his knees clutching his face.

"So you're saying… That I'm to lose to this human!?" Veiss looked at his grovelling comrade

"You're well aware of how binding the contract is." Raiz screamed in anguish.

"I… I end my turn…"

Yuga wiped the sweat off his brow.

"Hey, Veiss was it? Thanks for… Something, I guess." Veiss didn't respond.

"Hmf. Anyway, *my turn*, draw!" He held out a card in his hand.

"I'll summon Krysta Garuda!" A green core appeared on the field and absorbed all the nearby wind, before it took on a green bird-like form with a black upward-pointing triangle with a horizontal line at the top on its forehead.

 **Krysta Garuda, Level: 3**

 **WIND, Winged Beast/Effect, ATK: 1500 DEF: 1300 (Attack Position)**

"Battle Phase! Krysta Garuda attacks you directly!" Krysta Garuda dive-bombed towards Raiz, raking its talons across his face.

 **Raiz: 3100 → 1600**

"N-No…! Impossible…!" Raiz rasped.

Yuga assumed a stance before holding up his hand side-on.

"Now, prepare to face my _Hissatsu!_ "

 _ **(A/N: Hissatsu means 'Finishing move' in Japanese)**_

"Cross Magician, attack Raiz directly!" Cross Magician's rod snapped into its sword shape again, as he floated into the air and slashed twice in an 'X' shape, creating energy blades in said shape.

"Grand Cross!" the blades fell down on Raiz, creating an 'X'-shaped mark on the ground.

 **Raiz: 1600 → 0**

 **Yuga Wins!**

"*I think we're done here*." Yuga taunted.

"How could this happen…?" Raiz said out of despair, as his King's Mark vanished.

Yuga felt a searing pain on his left hand.

"Ngh! What the-?" A red mark shone through his glove: Raiz's King's Mark, it was his now.

Veiss's eyes widely opened.

"Yuga Senku, right? You've been the first human to have ever defeated Raiz, or any Arkon I'm aware of for that matter. You intrigue me."

Raiz picked himself up.

"Yuga Senku… I'll do well to remember that name AND this insult!" The two of them vanished in a flash of orange light.

"Hey wait! How do I use this… thing?" Yuga asked. But it was too late, they were already gone.

"Great… Now how do I get out?" He asked rhetorically.

" _Hold the mark up to a reflective surface, and you'll be able to freely travel between your world and the Mirror Dimension._ " Cross Magician said.

Yuga held up his new card.

"Just who or what are you?" No response.

"Well fine, be like that." He was about to walk over to a pane of glass, when he collapsed out of pain.

"My leg…! How did-?" He saw a shard of glass sticking out of his right leg.

 _That's right, when I took that direct attack from Heart Ace._ Yuga flashed back to that moment. He remembered something Raiz said:

 _The very nature of the Mirror Dimension grants monsters physical forms. When your Life Points fall to zero, you will almost certainly die from the wounds you sustain._ Yuga shook his head.

 _I'm gonna have to think about this later, I need to get back home._ He yanked the piece of glass out of his leg, as it started bleeding.

"Hopefully no-one notices." He joked to himself. He hobbled over to a window hand held up his left hand to it. The surface rippled as he did. Yuga stepped through and was shown the kaleidoscope-esque tunnel he saw earlier. He came back out in Haven City. He sighed and sat down.

"Are you okay?" A female voice asked. Yuga looked up to see the same girl from earlier.

"Oh, it's you! Yeah, I beat that guy no problem." Yuga bragged. The girl looked over to her right.

"You didn't exactly make it subtle, though." Yuga looked where she was indicating and saw a broken window: the same one Yuga crashed into in the Mirror Dimension. It had police officers investigating the scene, including a man with silver hair, much like Yuga's, however his hair was shorter and neater than Yuga's, with red bangs going down the back to the nape of his neck. He was wearing a dark grey business suit with a crimson tie.

"Hey, Ryoma!" Yuga ran over to the scene. Ryoma turned around.

"Yuga? What are you doing here?" Yuga froze.

 _Oh no. I'm gonna have to make some bullcrap up on the spot!_

"I… noticed something suspicious happening and decided to look into it!"

Ryoma raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"Oh yeah! I saw some guys set up something on the other end of the street, I overheard the words: Sonic boom… Black market and… Bomb. I think you guys should look into it." Yuga explained.

 _Yep, I'm grounded._ He thought.

Ryoma sighed.

"Take that down as a witness statement." He said to another officer.

"Roger." The officer responded.

 _Wait, WHAT? Did that ACTUALLY work?_ Yuga thought.

Ryoma looked over to the girl Yuga was with.

"Who's this?" He asked. Yuga raised his hand slightly but then put it down.

"Actually, that's a good question. What is your name?" The girl put her hand on her hair, only to reveal it was a wig by taking it off, showing short black hair underneath a wig cap.

"Keishi, Keishi Kagami." Yuga lightly smiled.

"Keishi, huh? *Great to meet you*."

"Wait, was that English just now? Are you American or something?" Keishi asked.

Yuga put his hand behind his head.

"Nah, I just lived there for about 3 years." He turned around and started walking off.

"Hey Ryoma, I'm just gonna head back, that okay?" Ryoma nodded.

"That sounds like a plan." Yuga gave a thumbs-up while still walking away.

A few hours passed, Yuga and Ryoma were back at home. Ryoma was looking over something on his computer when Yuga passed him. "Is that security camera footage?" He asked.

"Yeah. Just going over what happened in the area to find out what happened." Ryoma responded.

"Cool, I'm just gonna hit the hay, feeling a bit tired to be honest. Night." Yuga walked off to his room.

"Good night, Yuga." Ryoma turned back to the monitor and looked through more of the footage. Until he saw something off at one point and rewound to that particular moment. He saw what looked to be Yuga being abducted by a strange man into a mirror.

"What in the world?" He looked over at Yuga's room. Yuga was fast asleep already, seemingly peaceful, however his newly obtained King's Mark started flashing…

* * *

 **Preview**

Yuga: So this is Haven Senior Academy, huh?

?: Hey you! What's with the high-and-mighty attitude, huh?

Keishi: This'll go nowhere fast...

Yuga: Alright then, *Mullet Man*. You're on!

Yuga: Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! Xross: "School days! Haven Senior Academy". *See You*!

* * *

 **Cards**

Krysta Kitsune  
Level 4, FIRE, Beast/Effect  
ATK: 1600/DEF: 400  
During each of your opponent's Standby Phases (Quick Effect), you may inflict damage to your opponent equal to the number of "Krysta" monsters you control x100.

Krysta Taurus  
Level 4, EARTH, Beast/Effect  
ATK: 1900/DEF: 900  
If you have a Drive Zone on your side of the field, you may special summon this card to that zone. This card can make attacks equal to the amount of "Krysta" monsters you control except "Krysta Taurus".

Krysta Lycan  
Level 4, DARK, Beast/Effect  
ATK: 1800/DEF: 1200  
When this monster declares an attack, (Quick Effect) this card gains ATK equal to the number of "Krysta" monsters x100 except "Krysta Lycan" until the End Phase.

Krysta Ondine  
Level 3, WATER, Aqua/Effect  
ATK: 900/DEF: 1600  
Face-up "Krysta" monsters you control cannot be targeted by your opponent's card effects. Once, if a face-up "Krysta" is battling an opponent's monster and this card is in the GY, you can activate this effect.  
●All battle damage you take this turn involving "Krysta" monsters is halved.

Krysta Garuda  
Level 3, WIND, Winged Beast/Effect  
ATK: 1500/DEF: 1300  
If you control no face-up monsters, you may Special Summon this card from your hand, if you do, add 1 Driver monster from your deck to your hand.

Trump Fiend - Club Jack  
Level 4, FIRE, Fiend/Effect  
ATK: 1600/DEF: 0  
During the Standby Phase, if you control this face-up card and 2 face-up FIRE "Trump Fiend" monsters with different names except "Trump Fiend - Club Jack", inflict 500 damage to your opponent. If a face-up FIRE "Trump Fiend" monster would be destroyed by a card effect, you may discard this card from your hand, negate that monster's destruction.

Trump Fiend - Diamond Queen  
Level 4, EARTH, Fiend/Effect  
ATK: 1700/DEF: 0  
During the Standby Phase, if you control this face-up card and 2 face-up EARTH "Trump Fiend" monsters with different names except "Trump Fiend - Diamond Queen", inflict 500 damage to your opponent. You may discard this card from your hand; add 1 non-EARTH "Trump Fiend" monster from your deck to your hand.

Krysta Soul  
Level 1, LIGHT, Fairy/Driver/Effect  
ATK: 0/DEF: 0/Drive: 1  
Driver Effect: Once per turn (Quick Effect), if you control a Level 5 or lower "Krysta" monster in this Drive Zone, you may change this card's Drive to double that monster's level.  
Once per turn, recover life points equal to the number of "Krysta" monsters you control x200.

Trump Fiend - Red Joker  
Level 1, LIGHT, Fiend/Driver/Effect  
ATK: 0/DEF: 0/Drive: 10  
* _Effect Unknown*_

Cross Magician  
Limit 4, DARK, Spellcaster/Overdrive/Effect  
ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000  
1 Driver + 1 monster  
Once per turn, if this card would be destroyed by a card effect, you can destroy 1 other card on the field instead. When your opponent targets a card(s) with a card or effect (Quick Effect): You can target the number of other cards that would be appropriate targets for that card/effect; that card/effect now targets the new targets.

Trump Fiend - Club Ace  
Limit 6, FIRE, Fiend/Overdrive/Effect  
ATK: 2800/DEF: 0  
1 Driver + 1 FIRE monster  
When this monster is Overdrive summoned, you may destroy all monsters your opponent controls, you may not declare your Battle Phase the turn you activate this effect. Cannot be targeted by card effects. This card cannot be destroyed in battle as long as you control at least 1 FIRE "Trump Fiend" monster.

Trump Fiend - Heart Ace  
Limit 6, WATER, Fiend/Overdrive/Effect  
ATK: 2800/DEF: 0  
1 Driver + 1 WATER monster  
When this monster is Overdrive summoned, you may negate the effects of all monsters your opponent controls and reduce their ATK to 0, you may not declare your Battle Phase the turn you activate this effect. Cannot be targeted by card effects. This card cannot be destroyed in battle as long as you control at least 1 WATER "Trump Fiend" monster.

Krysta Transmutation  
Normal Spell Card  
You may target a "Krysta" monster on the field, destroy it and Special Summon 1 "Krysta" monster from your deck with the same Level, but a different Attribute.

Krysta Invocation  
Normal Spell Card  
Once per turn, you may select 2 "Krysta" monsters in your GY; Special Summon them in face-up defense position with their effects negated.

Suit Change  
Normal Spell Card  
Once per turn, you may target a Fiend monster you control. Return it to your deck and Special Summon a "Trump Fiend" monster with the same Level or Limit. If the monster summoned is an Overdrive monster, this summon is treated as an Overdrive Summon.

Archfiend's Excecution  
Normal Spell Card  
Target a Fiend monster you control. Change all face-up monsters your opponent controls into attack position.

Krysta Regen  
Continuous Spell Card  
During each of your Standby Phases, you may send the top card of your deck to the GY, add 1 "Krysta" monster from your GY to your hand.

Brutal Brawl  
Quick-Play Spell Card  
When a face-up monster you control battles an opponent's monster, you may pay 1000 LP' your monster gains 1000 ATK until your next Standby Phase.

Decree of Attack  
Quick-Play Spell Card  
Activate only when an effect that lists "you may not declare your Battle Phase the turn you activate this effect" is resolved. You may declare your Battle Phase this turn. You may only activate 1 "Decree of Attack" once per turn.

Destruct Construct  
Normal Trap Card  
When a monster(s) you control would be destroyed by battle or card effect, it is not. During the End Phase, you may special summon a monster with ATK equal to or less than the damage you took this turn.

Overdrive Emergency  
Normal Trap Card  
When a face-up Overdrive monster you control is targeted for an attack, you may banish 1 Driver monster from your GY; that monster gains ATK equal to the difference between its Limit and the banished monster's Drive x100.

* * *

 **Hawk: Well, I'd say that went well. That's as decent a start as any.**

 **Yuga: I think that's the readers' choice, don't you think?**

 **Hawk: True, true. I'm probably getting ahead of myself. I plan on continuing this for a while, I don't know how long yet, but I have a general idea of where I plan on taking the story. If you liked this, make sure if you leave a review down for people to read.**

 **Yuga: You can even ask questions about it! We don't care how stupid you think they are. Who knows? It might be answered some day.**

 **Hawk: We do care a bit.**

 **Yuga: It's the internet we're talking. Best not to expect anything out of people, that way you can't be disappointed.**

 ***Time Travel Portal appears***

 **Future Hawk: I have arrived from the future to inform you that I fixed the formatting and added a Card statistics section so people can read the cards used and better understand the duel. (Seriously, that formatting tho. Eep...) I'm _also_ here to give a better understanding of Overdrive Monsters and how they work. So strap in, kiddies!**

 **●First of all you'll need a "Driver" Monster. These cards look kinda like a Pendulum monster, but the bottom-half is a dark red, and there's only 1 scale: a cyan downwards-pointing one called a "Drive". You need to place it upside-down in a Main Monster Zone, where it becomes a "Drive Zone".** **While a Drive Zone, not only is that Zone now treated as a linked zone. But the Driver isn't treated as a monster, but as the Zone itself, and is affected by cards that would affect Zones (like Ground Collapse).**

● **A Driver as a Drive Zone cannot change back into a monster unless an effect states otherwise (in which case, it's treated as a Special Summon) and it can't leave the field except through effects or as an Overdrive material.** **Drive Zones also (usually) have "Driver Effects", much like Pendulum Effects. You can set as many Drive Zones as you have Drivers in your hand (unless an effect states otherwise).**

● **When you play a monster over a Drive Zone, you can then Overdrive Summon. It will need to be a monster with a Level for this to work (unless you-know-the-drill). You then send the monster and the Driver to the graveyard to Special Summon an Overdrive Monster from your Extra Deck with a "Limit" (Gold Orbs with Red Stars formatted to the left of the card) equal to the difference between the Driver's Drive and the other monster's Level to the _Exact Zone_ where the Driver was (we're having none of this Extra Monster zone shit).**

 **Future Hawk: Phew! It took about 3 hours to fix this, guys, from the layout (shudders), to the small mistakes to the cards & dialogue and adding the card statistics section. It took a while... Anyway, bye!**

 ***Portal closes***

 **Hawk: Fair enough. But yeah, thanks for reading this, and I'll catch you later!**


	2. Drive 002

**Hawk: Well, since Chapter 1 seemed to be well-** **received, that looks like a green light to continue the series! Thank you for the reviews that have already come in, I'm glad to see you guys liked this little project. Well, let's stop the Hawkatana-brand mindless rambling and get to the story, shall we?**

* * *

 **Drive 002: School Days! Haven Senior Academy**

Several lights lit up in a dark room, revealing a circular room with a teal ceramic circle with a stylised white 王 in the middle and 7 different coloured thrones at the ends, with a shadowy figure sitting at each of them.

"Bring him in." The figure on the red throne demanded. The sound of a door opening could be heard as Raiz was thrown onto the ground.

"This is completely unacceptable, Raiz, not only did you lose the King's Mark I gave you, but you lost it in a duel to a _human_ because you got cocky." The man on the red throne said disapprovingly.

"He's right, you know." The figure on the blue throne responded. "You made a misplay by using suit change instead of just attacking with Heart Ace."

The man on the yellow throne slammed his fist on the armrest. "Dammit Raiz! You've put the lives of everyone on Aeon at risk just so you could gather more Azoth for yourself! Our people are _dying_ because of your stupid actions! On top of that, you let the human get away with both Sekhmet's King's Mark _and_ -"

"Peace, Kiryu." Sekhmet stopped him from going any further with his sentence.

Kiryu growled in response. "Of course. Sorry."

A woman sitting on the indigo throne crossed her legs. "There are only 7 King's Marks in the known universe, if that human has one, _Sekhmet's_ of all of them, he could stop our race's very salvation in its tracks, Raiz."

Raiz struggled to his feet. "If I may, Lord Sekhmet, I attempted to rectify the problem through more conventional means, but Veiss interfered and allowed the human to-" He was cut off by a man on the green throne.

"I've heard enough of this shit." His left hand lit up with a green King's Mark and an orb of green lightning appeared in the palm of his hand.

"Give us one reason why we should believe you, Raiz."

"That's enough, Karcha! Don't forget the reason why The Council of Lords was even formed in the first place!" Sekhmet protested. The lightning in Karcha's hand faded away.

"Of course, _Grand Lord_." Karcha responded condescendingly.

A man on the violet throne began stroking his chin. "Veiss? If his claim is true, then we should question him about his involvement." He looked towards a woman on the orange throne.

"Veiss is one of _your_ people Aves, you deal with him."

Aves scoffed at him. "And why exactly should _I_ be the one to have to do that?"

Sekhmet turned to her. "Because he was the last person to have use over your King's Mark. The responsibility falls on you."

Aves scoffed again. "Alright, but you Raiz, are coming with me."

She held up her King's Mark, and she & Raiz vanished in a flash of orange light.

The man on the violet throne disappeared in violet flash without even a word.

The man on the blue throne sighed. "I appreciate your efforts Sekhmet, but that isn't going to change this place's bloody past." He disappeared in a blue flash.

Karcha stood up and turned towards Sekhmet. "We should be actually doing something to save our people instead of sitting here and discussing politics! Things are no better than when _he_ was here!" He shot a blast of lightning at the center of the room and vanished.

Kiryu sighed and glanced down. "I trust you'll make the right decision, my friend." He reassured before vanishing.

Sekhmet lifted himself off his throne and walked toward the centre of the room. He was tall, tanned and muscular, wearing red regal-looking garments with gold highlights. His face was obscured by a hood.

"That makes one of us, Kiryu…" He said softly.

The woman on the indigo throne stood up and walked over to him. "Don't listen to Karcha, he has no idea what he's talking about. How should anyone _ever_ compare you to-"

"No, I understand his concerns. He only wants to do the best for everyone. He's just… 500 is too young for a leader."

Sekhmet turned to the woman. "At least you understand, Sasara." Sasara was a slender woman wearing similar robes to Sekhmet, but Indigo. Her face was also covered by a hood.

"We can do it, we can save Aeon from destruction. These recent events are just a small distraction from-" "Hang on."

Sekhmet held up his hand as a sign to listen. "He's here."

Sasara looked around. "Who's here? I don't see anyone."

"I may not have have my King's Mark anymore, but I can still sense _him_." He turned to his left.

"Isn't that right, Agito?"

Yuga shot out of bed in shock. _That's definitely one of the weirdest dreams I've had. Probably just shaken after what today._ He turned to the window to be greeted with a rainstorm outside.

"Better get some sleep." He said as he pulled his sheets over his head and went to bed.

(The next day)

Yuga woke up to a buzzing sound: his alarm was going off.

"*I don't wanna*." He reached over to turn it off and then got out of bed. His room was decorated with various dueling memorabilia, such as an old D-Gazer, Figurines of Dark Magician, Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Red-Eyes Black Dragon, and even a poster of Dark Magician Girl.

Later, in the kitchen, Yuga was making breakfast when Ryoma entered.

"You're cooking breakfast again?" He asked.

"Well when you do it, it comes out disgusting. Need I remind you of the time you cooked scrambled eggs? *Good morning* by the way." Yuga light-heartedly responded.

Ryoma laughed. "Hey, they only gave _one_ person indigestion." They both chuckled for a little bit.

Yuga paused for a moment to think about the dream he had. _Who the hell is this Agito guy?_ He thought.

"Yuga?" Ryoma asked, concerned.

Yuga snapped out of it. "*Sorry*, just got a little distracted"

"Are you okay? You've been out of it ever since yesterday." Ryoma's concern was showing more.

A timer started buzzing. "Ah, Tempura's ready!" Yuga reached over to the stove to take the food off.

"I'm serious, Yuga. You're not acting like yourself. Tell me, did something happen?" Ryoma clearly wasn't going to let this go easily.

"*Look*, I really don't know what you're talking about. I'm fine!" Yuga rebutted.

Ryoma looked at his brother skeptically. "Okay... I'll take your word for it. But I want you to promise me you're not lying."

"Okay, okay. I promise. Relax a bit, Dad's coming home later today." Yuga continued to eat his breakfast before going back up to his room.

He emerged wearing a white blazer with a navy-blue trim over a black shirt and a red tie. "I'm heading out!" He called out.

"Okay, have fun!" Ryoma responded. Yuga grabbed his bag and was about to head out the door, before picking up a photo displayed on a cabinet. It showed a much younger Yuga and Ryoma, as well as a woman with shoulder-length red hair and brown eyes wearing a black business suit. She had the young Yuga sitting on her lap and Ryoma sitting to her right.

"I really miss you, Mom." He put down the family photo and walked out the door.

Ryoma walked into Yuga's room, looking for something. He came across Yuga's clothes from the day earlier, to find his pants cut and bloodstained in an area.

"Oh my god." He looked out the window. "Yuga, what have you done?"

Yuga stood at the bus stop waiting when his duel disk started vibrating and displayed the message: INCOMING CALL FROM: RYOMA.

"Probably just ass-dialed me." He tapped the red phone icon.

 _Could the Arkons and the Mirror Dimension be related to-_ He didn't have time to finish that thought as the bus arrived.

He stepped onto the bus and made his way through the isles of students before coming across a girl with short black hair, bown eyes and glasses wearing uniform sitting alone that looked vaguely familiar.

"*Hang on*, were you the girl from yesterday? Keishi, was it?"

She turned and looked at him. "Oh, it's you! Yuga, right?"

Yuga sat down next to her. "Yeah, that's me. You look a bit different from before." He said.

"Oh yeah, that. I was cosplaying Makoto from Saku Symphony when we met before."

"Isn't that the idol anime I never watch because I don't watch idol anime?" Yuga asked.

Keishi laughed. "Yeah, I'm idol trash, I don't care." They both laughed awkwardly, before Keishi's face turned serious.

"Okay, you know what I'm going to ask, so how about you answer it?" She asked.

Yuga sighed and placed his hand over his face. "Look, I'll tell you when there are less people around." They mostly sat in silence after that for the duration of the trip. Eventually the bus arrived at its destination.

"Haven Senior Academy. This is it." Yuga said.

The two of them got off the bus as he and Keishi walked towards a small area off to the side of the front gates where barely anyone was there.

"Is now a good time?" Keishi asked.

"Yeah." Yuga responded. "I don't know why a lot of this is happening, but I'll explain the best I can. You see…" Yuga explained everything he know about the situation. Raiz, the Mirror Dimension, Cross Magician, all of it.

"Wow, that's a lot to take in." Keishi was visibly shocked.

Yuga walked off towards the school building. "Where are you going?" Asked Keishi.

"To class, obviously. What did you think we got on the bus for?" Yuga headed into the building with Keishi following behind him.

"Also, I think this should go without saying, but don't tell anyone about this."

"Why shouldn't we tell the authorities? They'd be able to do _something_!" Keishi rebutted.

"What are they gonna tell everyone? That we're being invaded from beyond the mirror? People would panic and all hell would break loose." Yuga's face then changed from a serious look to a cocky smirk as he pointed his thumb at himself.

"*Besides*, I've beaten one before. I'm the best chance we have."

"How arrogant _are_ you?" Keishi asked.

"Lighten up a little, if I did it before, I can do it again. *Trust me*." Yuga walked off into the building. Keishi sighed and followed him in.

(2 Hours later)

Yuga went into the bathroom and entered one of the stalls. He picked up his duel disk and placed it at his ear, he then took Cross Magician out from his deck.

"*Hello*?" He asked into it, as if he was talking to someone. "That means you, Cross Magician!" he whispered under his breath.

" _I'd assume this means you want answers to what happened?_ " Cross Magician asked.

"What gave it away?" Yuga responded sarcastically.

"So, I know I caught your name yesterday, but is there anything you prefer to be called?"

" _You can plainly see my name. I don't see any reason to be called anything different._ " His tone already snarky.

"Okay then, No need to be rude about it, Well how were you able to… _Contact me_ at that time?" Yuga's tone almost turned serious.

" _I can't explain everything at this point, but I was sent by someone important to your world to… No. I shouldn't say any more than I have already. But know that Anyone who holds me can hear me._ "

Yuga sighed. _Well I'm not gonna get anything out of him, might as well give up_.

"Well goodbye then." He pretended to hang up and left the stall before stepping into the courtyard.

"There you are!" Keishi walked up to him holding her duel disk in her hand.

"I looked into that Cross Magician of yours on Libra's card database and found absolutely nothing." Yuga scoffed.

"Keishi, this is _Libra_ we're talking about. They can't do anything right."

"Maybe, but that's not the point. I _did_ however, find _this_." She handed him her duel disk, it showed an online forum discussing various cards that had their file names in Libra's network but for one reason or another, were never released.

"Pixel HEROes huh? *They sound cool*, but don't we already have enough HEROes?" Yuga asked.

"Not that, _this_." Keishi pointed to a section that was discussing a particular card: Cross Magician.

"So you're telling me Cross Magician exists in the code?" They looked at the stats that could be shown on it. Nothing save for the name. "What? Then how come…?" He looked down at Cross Magician.

 _Just who or what ARE you?_ He thought.

"How about we lighten up the mood a bit by looking at the comments?" He suggested.

Keishi gave him a smug look. "Well, this forum _is_ known to say some of the stupidest crap. Sure, why not?"

They looked over some of them, laughing at quite a number of them.

 _I swear, if it's another f-ing hand trap…_

 _This card sucks. Don't ask why, it just does._

 _It's a Magician. With a Cross theme. Come on Libra, really?_

While the 2 were laughing at the stupidity of some of the comments, when they heard music coming from a corner of the courtyard.

"Is that someone playing a guitar?" Yuga asked. He & Keishi walked towards the source of the music. They came across a fit-looking boy with shoulder-length black hair with a blonde streak down the back and green eyes. He was wearing his blazer like a cape and had had black leather boots. He was playing a dark-blue guitar that seemed to have a duel disk built inside.

"Nice job! What song is that?" Keishi asked.

The boy looked up. "It's not really a song, more just screwing around on the strings." He responded.

"Really, for a type of music that sucks ass, you did a good job at it." Yuga said.

The boy stopped playing. "What did you say?" He looked obviously angry.

"I said you did a good job for a crappy type of music. Heavy Metal kinda died in the 1980's, but you made it palletteable."

Keishi pulled at Yuga's ear. "Yuga, a word?" She wasn't happy either.

"Ow! Ow! *Quit it*! I was complementing him!" Yuga begrudgingly began to walk with her.

"Hang on a second!" The boy yelled. They turned around to face him.

"Yuga, right? You may be saying my music is crap now, you probably won't be saying that after I beat your sorry ass!"

Yuga raised an eyebrow. "Beat me in what, exactly?"

"A straight-on fistfight, video games, duel monsters, Your choice."

Yuga then remembered something Raiz said the day prior: _There's only one way. A competition or battle of some kind. Your choice, of course._

Yuga shook the thought out of his head. _He's not an Arkon, so what's there to worry about?_

"Well that guitar looks like it has a duel disk built into it, so let's go with that option."

The boy pressed a button on his guitar that retracted the strings, before pushing the end of it inwards. He then attached it to his wrist as a purple blade appeared.

"By the way," The boy said. "The name's Takumi!" Yuga attached his own duel disk to his wrist as the blade appeared.

"Can't say I've seen a duel disk like that before." Takumi stated.

Yuga smiled. "It's not produced by Libra. It was made by an American startup called RoseTech." He tilted his head to the side. "It has much better RAM, too. So let's do this, *Mullet Man*."

Takumi was caught off guard. "M-Mullet Man?! You're gonna pay for that, X-Head!"

Keishi stepped back. "I'm not taking part in this, you two brought this upon yourselves, this is _your_ dick-measuring contest."

"DUEL!" Yuga and Takumi both shouted.

 **Yuga: 4000**

 **Takumi: 4000**

"I'll start this off. My turn!" Takumi held out a spell. "I activate Terraforming!"

Yuga held his hand up to his face and sighed. "Which field spell do you add?"

Takumi's duel disk shuffled his deck automatically. As it finished, a card ejected out.

"I'll go with this one! Underworld Tour!" The background on Yuga's duel disk changed to that of Underworld Tour's artwork.

"I also activate the spell Metal Oni Jam Session! I can add two Fiend monsters from my deck to my hand."

Pictures of his cards appeared on his screen, as he looked through them. "I think I'll choose… These two! I add Metal Oni Amp and Metal Oni Drummer to my hand" He selected his 2 cards, and they ejected out of his disk.

"Does that card have _any_ drawbacks?" Yuga complained.

"Oh yeah, I can only summon Fiend monsters this turn."

"So, no drawbacks." He shook his head in disappointment and annoyance.

Takumi reached into his hand and placed down a card. "I set Metal Oni Amp as a Drive Zone!" An orange drive pillar shot down from the sky.

 **Metal Oni Amp, Level: 2**

 **EARTH, Fiend/Driver/Effect, ATK: 500 DEF: 100 Drive: 0 (Drive Zone)**

"Now I activate the effect of Underworld Tour! I can special summon a Metal Oni from my hand as long as its ATK becomes 0 and its effects are negated." He slammed down a monster from his hand.

"I special summon Metal Oni Guitarist!"

A geyser of lava erupted on his field, a demonic, metallic red figure with black markings on its face holding a hellish-looking electric guitar burst out along with it. As it arrived on the surface, it struck several chords and stuck its long tongue out its fanged face.

 **Metal Oni Guitarist, Level: 4**

 **EARTH, Fiend/Effect, ATK: 1800 → 0 DEF: 100 (Defense Position)**

Takumi pumped his fist up in the air.

"Let's rock! I overdrive my Level 4 Metal Oni Guitarist with my Drive 8 Metal Oni Amp!" The drive pillar was absorbed into Guitarist, lightning started violently surging off of its body, it yelled loudly as it disappeared in a flash of light.

"Guitarist of hell, let loose your endless rhapsody and rock on! Limit... BREAK! Overdrive Summon! Appear, Limit 4! Metal Oni Shredder!"

In the place where Guitarist stood was now a slightly larger, silver version of Guitarist with red markings and spikes all over its body. Its guitar was even larger and demonic-looking than before. It started playing with great speed and enthusiasm.

 **Metal Oni Shredder, Limit: 4**

 **EARTH, Fiend/Overdrive/Effect, ATK: 2600 DEF: 100 (Attack Position)**

"And for my normal summon, I summon Metal Oni Drummer!" Another lava geyser erupted out of the ground, this time a buffer, yellow oni burst out, beating hard on a drum-set.

 **Metal Oni Drummer, Level: 5**

 **EARTH, Fiend/Effect, ATK: 1900 DEF: 100 (Attack Position)**

"I can normal summon him without tributing if I only control fiend monsters." Takumi explained.

Yuga looked genuinely annoyed. "Are _all_ your cards this broken?!"

"If you can't deal with a few powerful cards, then why do you even play Duel Monsters?" Takumi responded smugly.

"He's got you there." Keishi added.

"You're not helping!" Yuga snapped back.

"That's not all, when multiple Metal Oni monsters are on the field together, they gain 200 ATK for each member of the band other than themselves!" Takumi's monsters grinned at each other, bearing their tongues. They started playing their instruments with such speed and ferocity, they became engulfed in a red aura.

 **Metal Oni Shredder**

 **ATK: 2600** **→ 2800**

 **Metal Oni Drummer**

 **ATK: 1900** **→ 2100**

"I set a card face-down and end my turn. Your move!"

Yuga scanned the field. _So he's using a Fiend deck that uses ATK-boosting and synergy tactics to dominate the opponent._

He was reminded of his duel with Raiz. He used Fiend monsters too. _This is different now. 1. I have nothing to lose here other than my dignity. 2. Takumi looks and acts like an idiot. And 3._ He smirked confidently. _I know exactly how to beat him._

"What's the matter? Can't see a way to win?" Takumi taunted.

Yuga smugly shook his head. "Nah, just weighing my options here." He shrugged in a condescending manner.

"And I'd say my chances look pretty good. *My turn, draw*!" He drew his card and without hesitation, placed it down.

"If I control no monsters, I can special summon Krysta Garuda from my hand!" Garuda's core materialised and took form.

 **Krysta Garuda, Level: 3**

 **WIND, Winged Beast/Effect, ATK: 1500 DEF: 1300 (Defense Position)**

"When I _do_ summon him this way, I can add a Driver from my deck to my hand! I add Krysta Imp!" He pulled the card out of his deck and immediately placed it in his hand.

"Now I activate Krysta Exchange! This card allows me to return a Krysta monster to my deck, and add another one with a different Attribute to my hand! I return Krysta Lycan to my deck to add Krysta Salamander to my hand!" He slammed his card into his deck and pulled a card out.

"Now I set Krysta Imp as a Drive Zone!" As he played the card, a purple Drive Pillar shot down from the sky.

 **Krysta Imp, Level: 2**

 **DARK, Fiend/Driver/Effect, ATK: 600 DEF: 1100 Drive: 8 (Drive Zone)**

"I set Krysta Soul as a Drive Zone as well!" A yellow Drive Pillar also landed on Yuga's field

 **Krysta Soul, Level: 1**

 **LIGHT, Fairy/Driver/Effect ATK: 0 DEF: 0 Drive: 1 (Drive Zone)**

"Now I activate Krysta Imp's effect! I can shift a monster I control to its zone, so I choose Krysta Garuda to go over to it! Garuda flew off over to the purple drive pillar.

"I summon Krysta Salamander over Krysta Soul!" A red core appeared on Yuga's field and absorbed fiery energy before taking the form of an ethereal, red lizard-like being with a black triangle on its forehead.

 **Krysta Salamander, Level: 3**

 **FIRE, Reptile/Effect ATK: 1400 DEF: 800 (Attack Position)**

"I activate Krysta Soul's ability! I can make its Drive become double that of a monster in it!"

 **Krysta Soul**

 **Drive: 1** **→ 6**

Yuga lifted his hand up. "Now I Overdrive my Level 3 Krysta Salamander with my Drive 6 Krysta Soul!" Salamander returned to its core and absorbed the yellow Drive Pillar.

"Undying Phoenix and lord of fire! Lend your strength to this battle and cleanse the world in your flames!"

Yuga's monster imploded in on itself.

"Limit... BREAK!" Yuga clenched his fist. "Overdrive Summon! Appear! Limit 3! Krysta King Phoenix!"

A gold core stood where Salamander was. It became engulfed in a storm of flames as 2 fiery wings protruded out of it.

"Wh-What the hell?!" Takumi looked on, concerned. The flames slowly formed the shape of an enormous bird with a golden triangle on its forehead, before screeching loudly.

 **Krysta King Phoenix, Limit: 3**

 **FIRE, Pyro/Overdrive/Effect ATK: 2600 DEF: 1800 (Attack Position)**

"When King Phoenix is Overdrive Summoned, I can destroy all monsters on the field!" Krysta Phoenix lifted its wings up and the flapped down with such force, gusts of fire picked up.

"Not gonna happen! Metal Oni Drummer's effect protects my monsters from being destroyed by card effects!" Takumi's monster threw its drumsticks up into the air, before catching them and furiously beating its drum set, causing pillars of earth to block the oncoming flames.

Takumi smirked at Yuga. "But your Garuda on the other hand..."

"Is perfectly safe, actually." Yuga shrugged.

"What?" Takumi looked a little worried.

"Krysta Imp's effect protects a monster in its zone from being destroyed by my own effects!" A purple bubble appeared around Garuda, forcing the flames around it. The fire quickly died down after that.

 _Well, that could have gone better, but it could have gone worse._ Yuga thought. _Now for another one!_

"I now Overdrive my Level 3 Krysta Garuda with my Drive 8 Krysta Imp!"

"Again?!" Takumi seemed caught off-guard. Garuda absorbed the Drive Pillar into its core and imploded, leaving another gold core.

"Majestic Hawk and lord of wind! Lend your strength to this battle and unleash your stormy wrath! Limit... BREAK!"

A green tornado picked up on Yuga's field. "Overdrive Summon! Appear! Limit 5! Krysta King Icarus!"

The tornado started taking on a more humanoid figure with wings on its back and a bird-like face with a golden triangle with a line through it. Two swords formed out of wind as it floated down and began hovering just above the ground.

 **Krysta King Icarus, Limit: 5**

 **WIND, Winged Beast/Overdrive/Effect ATK: 2800 DEF: 2200 (Attack Position)**

"When Krysta Imp is used for an Overdrive Summon, I get to draw a card!" A purple aura surrounded the top card of Yuga's deck, as he added it to his hand.

"Battle Phase! Krysta King Icarus attacks Metal Oni Drummer!" Icarus drew its swords and darted straight at Drummer.

"What kind of an idiot do you take me for?" Takumi asked rhetorically.

"I activate the trap card Metal Oni Solo!" Yuga faintly heard the sound of a bass guitar playing.

"When a Metal Oni monster I control is attacked, I can special summon another Metal Oni from my hand!"

Another lava geyser erupted. This time, a suave-looking blue demon stepped out playing on a bass guitar. "Say hello to Metal Oni Bassist!" Takumi called out.

 **Metal Oni Bassist, Level: 4**

 **EARTH, Fiend/Effect ATK: 1700** **DEF: 100 (Attack Position)**

Lightning shot out of the end Bassist's guitar and struck King Icarus mid-attack, destroying it.

"But remember, Metal Oni monsters gain ATK for every other one of them that isn't them!"

 **Metal Oni Shredder**

 **ATK: 2800** **→ 3000**

 **Metal Oni Bassist**

 **ATK: 1700** **→ 2100**

 **Metal Oni Drummer**

 **ATK: 2100** **→ 2300**

"That's not all! Bassist's ability reduces the ATK of all monsters you control by the amount of Metal Oni monsters on my field x100!" Bassist played a quick melody which caused Phoenix to wince in pain.

 **Krysta King Phoenix**

 **ATK: 2600** **→ 2300**

 _Well, I screwed up._ Yuga thought to himself. He gritted his teeth. _Let's hope this works then!_

"I set two cards face-down. Turn End."

"Well then X-Head, it doesn't look like things went your way there. So how about you quit acting like such a high-and-mighty bully and give up while you can?" Takumi gloated.

"*Oh, I'm sorry*. How am _I_ a bully?" Yuga asked.

"No, really. How?"

"Maybe going up to him and saying his music was crap. Just a thought." Keishi instantly replied.

"I said it was good! I just said the _style_ sucked!"

"And that's any better?" Keishi looked disappointed.

"Look, I understand you're going for a laid-back snarker approach for life, but it really just makes you look like an arrogant asshole more than anything."

Yuga seemed genuinely stunned by that comment. "An... Asshole?" He seemed to space out for a moment.

Takumi looked confused. "You're telling me no-one ever told you that?"

"No-one I thought mattered." Yuga lust lost focus of everything for a moment and looked down towards the ground.

"Yuga?" Keishi walked over to him.

"Yeah. I'm fine." He looked towards Takumi.

"Look dude, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to insult you or your music."

"I know, you did a crappy job of not trying though." Takumi responded.

"I get that. But really, I'm sorry for being such an asshole." Yuga held out his hand. "Wanna bury the hatchet?"

Takumi walked over and firmly shook his hand. "Apology accepted. Just don't do it again."

Keishi walked towards the two as well. "Don't leave me out of this." She put her hand over the handshake. "Why can't handshakes be for 3 people?" She asked, jokingly as the three of them all started laughing.

Yuga looked at Keishi and Takumi happily.

"You guys think you could keep me in line the next time I act like an ass?" He requested.

"I personally volunteer." Keishi raised her hand as they laughed again.

 _I think the impossible just happened._ Yuga smiled and closed his eyes. _I think I just made friends._ Tears started rolling down his eyes.

"Hey man, are you okay?" Takumi asked. Yuga wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. How about we continue the duel? There's nothing to lose now."

Takumi reached into his pocket and pulled out a guitar pick. "Sounds like a plan!"

He placed his hand over his deck. "My turn, draw!"

He smiled upon seeing the card. "Time to complete the band! I summon Metal Oni Vocalist!" Another geyser erupted, this time accompanied by a screeching noise. A purple demon dispelled the lava around itself by its voice alone.

 **Metal Oni Vocalist, Level: 3**

 **EARTH, Fiend/Effect ATK: 1400 DEF: 100 (Attack Position)**

"And you know what that means, Yuga!" Yuga stared worriedly at Takumi's field.

"More ATK boosts..."

 **Metal Oni Shredder**

 **ATK: 3000** **→ 3200**

 **Metal Oni Vocalist**

 **ATK: 1400** **→ 2000**

 **Metal Oni Bassist**

 **ATK: 2100** **→ 2300**

 **Metal Oni Drummer**

 **ATK: 2300** **→ 2500**

 **Krysta King Phoenix**

 **ATK: 2300** **→2200**

Keishi looked onwards. "A one-turn-kill, huh?" She looked over at Yuga. "You'd better hope that face-down card helps you, Yuga."

Takumi snapped his fingers. "It's been fun, but every song's gotta end. Metal Oni Shredder! Attack Krysta King Phoenix! Hellish Rhapsody!" Shredder bore his tongue out while smiling. It started playing its guitar so quickly, its hands started to blur before it turned metallic in appearance. It jumped into the air and lunged towards Yuga's monster, about to smash its guitar over it.

"Are you sure about that?" Yuga asked.

"Wh-What?" Takumi seemed concerned. "Trap Card! Waboku! Seems like I'm safe for another turn!" Phoenix was enveloped in a cyan aura just in time for Shredder's attack, blocking it.

"Damn, that was careless... Okay Yuga, your turn!"

"*Okay then! My turn, draw*!" Upon adding the card, he activated it.

"Spell Card! Pot of Desires!" The top ten cards of Yuga's deck were banished before he drew two cards.

"Now I activate Drive Return! This card allows me to add a driver from my Graveyard to my hand!" He reached into his graveyard.

"I choose Krysta Imp, which I now set as a Drive Zone!" A purple Drive Pillar dropped down from above.

 **Krysta Imp, Level: 2**

 **DARK, Fiend/Driver/Effect, ATK: 600 DEF: 1100 Drive: 8 (Drive Zone)**

"Now I summon Krysta Raiju over my Drive Zone!" A yellow core materialised on his field and started producing electricity, eventually forming a yellow, ethereal tiger with two black triangles overlaid with each other on its forehead.

 **Krysta Raiju, Level: 4**

 **LIGHT, Beast/Effect, ATK: 1800 DEF: 500 (Attack Position)**

Yuga held his hand to the sky. "Let's go! I Overdrive my Level 4 Krysta Raiju with my Drive 8 Krysta Imp!" Raiju returned to its core and absorbed the energy from the Drive Pillar and imploded in a burst of electricity.

"Wizard that exists between worlds! Rain your judgement upon the wicked! Limit... BREAK! Overdrive Summon! Appear now! Cross Magician!"

 **Cross Magician, Limit: 4**

 **DARK, Spellcaster/Overdrive/Effect ATK: 2500 DEF: 2000 (Attack Position)**

Keishi was awestruck for a moment. "So _that_ , that's Cross Magician." Takumi just looked confused. "What the...? I've never seen that card before!"

(Meanwhile, on Aeon)

Veiss was in a dark, almost palacial room, viewing a strange-looking monitor.

"He summoned it again... Yuga Senku, you surprise me yet again." Suddenly, an orange light flashed behind him. When he turned around, he saw Raiz, being held by the collar by a curvy-looking woman wearing orange robes with her face obscured by a hood.

He kneeled upon seeing her. "Lady Aves, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"We're here on official business, Veiss. Now's not the time for pleasantries." Aves threw Raiz onto the floor as he tried to pick himself up.

"Why? Why did you pull this kind of bullshit on me?!" He weakly said.

Veiss looked at him confused. "I'm afraid I don't follow."

"Raiz over here claims that _you_ were the one responsible for losing Sekhmet's King's Mark."

Veiss raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me? I'd never even _think_ of betraying the Grand Lord." He then turned to Raiz. "Raiz, how _could_ you?"

"THAT'S BULLSHIT AND YOU KNOW IT!" Raiz immediately snapped. "You said right to my face that The Council had directly ordered it to be revoked!"

"Was I the one who foolishly dueled a human and wagered the Mark as an incentive? No. That was you, Raiz."

"If you love each other so much, why don't you just get married?" Aves walked over to a window, opening up to a yellow sky and a red sun.

"Since it's just your word against his, I propose a compromise. Veiss, you now have official custody over Raiz."

Veiss bowed. "Of course, dear sister."

She disappeared in an orange light. Raiz limped over to a wall before leaning against it, breathing heavily.

"Why did you lie to me? What do you have to gain from that?"

Veiss sat back down at the monitor. "It wouldn't have made much difference anyway. Besides, The Council doesn't yet realise that this human could be our unwitting saviour."

"You can't be serious! A human, specifically _that_ human is nothing more than an obstacle for every Arkon to achieve greatness!"

Veiss didn't seem to acknowledge Raiz said anything. "The spare bed is down the corridor. I'd get comfortable if I were you."

Raiz spat on the floor. "Tch! Congratulations, Veiss. You may have just doomed us all for some petty gambit."

He walked down a dark corridor as lights turned on automatically as he walked.

(Back on Earth)

"As I used Krysta Imp as a Driver, I get to draw a card!" Yuga drew the top card from his deck.

"*Nice*! I activate-"

" _Yuga_!" He was cut off by a familiar-looking voice. He turned around and found Ryoma making a bee-line towards him. He did not look happy.

"Is that your dad?" Takumi asked.

"No, that's his older brother." Keishi responded. Yuga walked over to meet his brother.

"*Oh hey*, Ryoma! What brings yo-" Ryoma grabbed his wrist.

"Hey! What's the big idea?!"

"You lied to me, Yuga. I'm taking you in for questioning."

"WHAT?!" Yuga was shocked. Keishi ran up to them and blocked the way.

"I don't know what this is about, but I'd say this is pushing it a bit!"

Ryoma held out his badge. "This is about the incident yesterday in the shopping district. And as a matter of fact, you're coming with me too."

Keishi now seemed concerned, as her arms dropped to her sides and walked with them.

"Wait up!" Takumi tried to run after them, but was stopped by Ryoma.

"This is official police business. I'm sorry, but this doesn't concern you." The three of them then walked off.

"Man..." Takumi clenched his fists in anger.

(5 minutes later)

Yuga and Keishi were sitting in the back of Ryoma's car on the way to the police station.

"Don't you ever lie to me about things like this ever again, Yuga." Ryoma said in a disappointed tone.

"It's not that big of a deal, Ryoma."

"Not that big of a deal? Then why were your pants bloodstained around the knee? After questioning, you're going straight to the hospital."

Yuga had nothing to add to that, his brother had him in a deadlock.

 _I appreciate the sentiment, but it's not like I'm trying to protect the world here!_ Yuga thought. He leaned back into the seat. _Well, i_ _t's not like he'd believe me or anything._

Yuga's King's Mark started flashing again. " _It has begun._ " Cross Magician stated.

* * *

 **Preview**

Ryoma: Beings from beyond a mirror? I'm not an idiot, Yuga.

Yuga: Believe me, it happened!

?: You there, you can hand over Lord Sekhmet's King's Mark the easy way, or the hard way.

Keishi: Don't you even think about it!

Yuga: Keishi, no!

Yuga: Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! Xross: "War Declared! Keishi's Gambit". *See you*!

* * *

 **Cards**

Krysta Salamander  
Level 3, FIRE, Reptile/Effect  
ATK: 1400/DEF: 800  
When a face-up Overdrive Monster you control attacks your opponent directly OR battles an opponent's monster, you may banish this card from your GY; that monster gains 1000 ATK.

Krysta Raiju  
Level 4, LIGHT, Beast/Effect  
ATK: 1800/DEF:500  
When this card destroys an opponent's monster in battle, inflict damage equal to the number of "Krysta" monsters you control x200.

Metal Oni Guitarist  
Level 4, EARTH, Fiend/Effect  
ATK: 1800/DEF: 100  
This card gains 200 ATK for every face-up "Metal Oni" monster with different names you control except "Metal Oni Guitarist". If you control a face-up "Metal Oni" monster (other than this card), your opponent cannot target your monster(s) with the lowest ATK for an attack.

Metal Oni Bassist  
Level 4, EARTH, Fiend/Effect  
ATK: 1700/DEF: 100  
This card gains 200 ATK for every face-up "Metal Oni" monster with different names you control except "Metal Oni Bassist". Face-up monsters your opponent controls lose ATK equal to the amount of face-up "Metal Oni" monsters with different names you control x100.

Metal Oni Drummer  
Level 5, EARTH, Fiend/Effect  
ATK: 1900/DEF: 100  
This card gains 200 ATK for every face-up "Metal Oni" monster with different names you control except "Metal Oni Drummer". If you control only Fiend Monsters, you can Normal Summon this card without tributing. Face-up "Metal Oni" monsters you control cannot be destroyed by card effects.

Metal Oni Vocalist  
Level 3, EARTH, Fiend/Effect  
ATK: 1400/DEF: 100  
This card gains 200 ATK for every face-up "Metal Oni" monster with different names you control except "Metal Oni Vocalist". Your opponent cannot target face-up "Metal Oni" monsters you control with card effects.

Krysta Imp  
Level 2, DARK, Fiend/Driver/Effect  
ATK: 600/DEF: 1100/Drive: 8  
Driver Effect: If this card is used as an Overdrive material, draw 1 card.  
If this card is in the GY, you may banish it; add 1 "Krysta" monster from your GY to your hand.

Metal Oni Amp  
Level 2, EARTH, Fiend/Driver/Effect  
ATK: 500/DEF: 100/Drive: 8  
Driver Effect:A face-up "Metal Oni" monster you control in this card's Drive Zone gains ATK equal to the amount of face-up "Metal Oni" monsters with different names x200.  
This card gains 200 ATK for every face-up "Metal Oni" monster with different names you control except "Metal Oni Amp". Face-up "Metal Oni" monsters you control may attack your opponent directly.

Krysta King Phoenix  
Limit 3, FIRE, Pyro/Overdrive/Effect  
ATK: 2600/DEF: 1800  
1 "Krysta" Driver + 1 FIRE monster  
When this card is Overdrive Summoned, destroy all monsters on the field; this card gains ATK equal to the amount of FIRE or "Krysta" monsters destroyed by this effect x200. If this card is destroyed in battle and sent to the GY, special summon it to your side of the field during your next Standby Phase. You can only activate this effect of "Krysta King Phoenix" once per turn.

Krysta King Icarus  
Limit 5, WIND, Winged Beast/Overdrive/Effect  
ATK: 2800/DEF: 2200  
1 "Krysta" Driver + 1 WIND monster  
This card can make attacks on monsters during each Battle Phase equal to the amount of face-up "Krysta" monsters you control. This card cannot be selected for an attack if you control a monster with an original ATK lower than this card's.

Metal Oni Shredder  
Limit 4, EARTH, Fiend/Overdrive Effect  
ATK: 2600/DEF: 100  
1 Driver monster + "Metal Oni Guitarist"  
This card gains 200 ATK for every face-up "Metal Oni" monster with different names you control except "Metal Oni Shredder". If you control another face-up "Metal Oni" monster (except "Metal Oni Shredder") this card gains 500 ATK during the Damage step only.

Drive Return  
Normal Spell Card  
Add 1 Driver monster from your GY to your hand.

Metal Oni Jam Session  
Normal Spell Card  
Add 2 Fiend monsters from your Deck to your hand. You cannot Special Summon monsters except Fiend monsters until your End Phase.

Underworld Tour  
Field Spell Card  
Face-up "Metal Oni" monsters you control cannot be destroyed by card effects. Once during your Main Phase 1 or your opponent's Main Phase 2, (Quick Effect) you may special summon a "Metal Oni" monster from your hand. It's original ATK becomes 0 and it can't be destroyed in battle. These effects last until your next Standby Phase.

Metal Oni Solo  
Normal Trap Card  
When an opponent's monster declares an attack on a "Metal Oni" monster you control: Special Summon 1 "Metal Oni" monster from your hand, and if you do, destroy your opponent's attacking monster.

* * *

 **Hawk: Yeah, I thought I might have a plot-centric episode this time around. Get the early info-dumps out of the way.**

 **Yuga: You got me freaking arrested! Why?!**

 **Hawk: A policeman has to do his job. And you _were_ withholding information from the authorities.**

 **Yuga: For good reason!**

 **Hawk: Uh-huh, _sure_. Well, Drive 003 will hopefully come out soon. So until then, stay tuned, everyone!**


	3. Update

Hey everyone, it's Hawk. Just a quick update for now of how things are going for both Xross & me in general, and letting you all that I did not die like some ignorant fools may claim. I might delete this soon (especially if this violates site rules for some reason) & replace it with the actual chapter 3, but for now, just get comfortable with the ramblings of this madman.

* * *

I've just finished 12th grade, and thus a lot of work is lifted off my shoulders. But before that, I had a lot of tests, assignments and just general work thrust upon me (don't worry, I passed). However, I am now free to work on my fics more regularly from now on. Now all that stands between you & my work is my chronic laziness.

* * *

Chapter 3 is proving difficult, writer's block is proving to be a bitch and the fact I don't script my duels beforehand might have been a bad idea of mine, but rest assured. it _is_ coming.

* * *

Xross now has a TV Tropes page, courtesy of moi. I'd link it, but links don't work here.

* * *

There's also the issue of the new series of Yu-Gi-Oh!: Yu-Gi-Oh! SEVENS, and basically the reason I'm making this update: The protagonist is _also_ called Yuga.

Despite this being now an official character, I have no intentions of changing the name of my protag. I did it first, and damn be popular consensus. A way to think of it is that Yuga Senku is the continuation of the Gallop era of YGO, while Yuga Ondou is the start of the Bridge era.

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For being as patient as you are, I'm gonna make the wait for chapter 3 a _little_ more bearable. I'm giving you guys a sneak-peek of Chapter 3, right now. Enjoy:

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 **Drive 003: War Declared! Keishi's Gambit**

Yuga looked around the interrogation room. Empty, save for himself, Keishi, a table with chairs and a mirror hiding a window and several police on the other side.

"This was _your_ fault." Keishi looked at him disapprovingly.

"Widespread panic, remember?" Yuga's attempts at defending himself weren't working. Eventually, Ryoma came in with a paramedic behind him.

"Isn't this a bit excessive?" Yuga complained.

Ryoma and the paramedic talked quietly to each other, before the paramedic nodded and left the room. Ryoma then sat down on the opposite end of the table to Yuga Keishi.

"Yuga, what _really_ happened and why did you lie to me?" He glanced over and noticed something on his brother's left hand. "Is that a tattoo?! Please don't tell me you're involved with gangs now."

"It's kind of a long story..." Yuga started fidgeting.

"Take all the time you need." Ryoma was as straight-faced as ever. Yuga sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"*Well, I might as well start right from the beginning then." He filled Ryoma in on the events of the day prior, only to be met by him shaking his head.

"I'd be laughing right now if this wasn't a serious matter."

"I swear it's the truth!"

"Yuga, I can't just write this incident down as 'Aliens attacking people from the other side of a mirror'. If I just believed everything a suspect told me, we'd have some of the most insane and dangerous people loose on the streets."

"SUSPECT?!" Yuga immediately stood up.

"Yuga, calm down-"

"How do you expect me to be calm when you can't even seem to trust me?!"

"If I may." Keishi looked like she was about to say something important. "I can confirm that it happened as a witness. I _did_ see Yuga dueling a man in the Mirror Dimension."

Ryoma looked over to her for a moment.

"Do you have any proof of it?" Keishi looked down towards the ground.

"...No. No I don't."

Yuga sat back down and sighed. _How the hell am I gonna convince him?_ He began to wrack his brain for something. Anything at least somewhat useful would be helpful at this point. Suddenly, he had an idea. _It might not work as I hope, but it's worth trying._ He reached into his deck and pulled Cross Magician out of it.

"What are you doing?" Ryoma asked. Yuga held out his hand with Cross Magician in it.

"Ryoma, hold onto this card."

"You want me to what?" Ryoma looked quite confused.

"Just do it." Ryoma lifted his hand hesitantly.

"Alright then." He grabbed hold of his brother's card, only to be greeted by a voice the moment he came in contact.

" _That's one method to get you to listen to reason._ " Ryoma gasped and immediately dropped the card in shock.

"What the hell was that?!"

Yuga picked the card up and then put it back in his deck.

"That Ryoma, was Cross Magician. Say hi, Cross!"

" _Cross? That's what you're calling me?_ " He said with a snarky tone in his voice.

 ** _(A/N: Or at least as close to a "voice" as you can get with telepathy)_**

"Well I have to call you _something_ , and saying 'Cross Magician' over and over again is just going to get repetitive." Yuga mused light-heartedly.

Cross didn't respond. Yuga snickered to himself before turning to Ryoma.

"I think that should be enough evidence for you to believe our story." Ryoma was stuttering, trying to come up with a decent counter-argument.

"The footage, the glass shattering for no reason, _this_..." He placed his hands over his face. He then stood up and began to walk out.

"Come on, we need to get you to the hospital before dad gets back."

"Ryoma, I'm fine. Really, it's just a flesh-wound." Yuga leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head.

"I'm sorry, but your bloodstained clothes say otherwise." Ryoma gestured him to go with him.

Yuga sighed and followed him. Until...

" _Yuga! Watch out!_ " Cross called out. Yuga darted his eyes across the room only to see a figure lunge at him from the window at the end of the room. He quickly ducked to avoid them and rolled away just in time.

"Yuga!" Ryoma ran towards the figure, but was knocked away.

"Yuga Senku, by order of The Council of Lords, you're to be taken prisoner." Yuga managed to stand up and get a good look at his attacker.

He saw a tallish woman wearing indigo armour with black highlights with a white cape. She had 8 dark-brown braids going down her head, 4 on each side as well as indigo eyes.

Ryoma lifted himself off the ground. "An-an Arkon?" He pulled a walkie-talkie out of his suit. "Security in interrogation room 5! I repeat: Security in interrogation room 5!" The Arkon calmly walked over and crushed the walkie-talkie in her hand.

"Don't bother, they're not going to be of much help."

Yuga ran at her and tried to hit her over the head with one of the chairs. It only seemed to anger her and cause her to flinch as it shattered upon impact.

"Hey ugly! If it's me you want, then how about we settle this here and now?" He equipped his duel disk as the blade materialised.

"I don't have time to waste on you." She spun around and roundhouse-kicked him in the leg.

" _AAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHH_!" Yuga collapsed in agony, he'd just been kicked in the area he'd been injured in prior.

"Yuga!" Ryoma and Keishi both ran towards him as quickly as they could as the security Ryoma called in arrived.

"You there, drop that boy and Freeze!" They aimed their guns at the Arkon, who was now carrying Yuga in her arms.

"We're done here." She said as she jumped towards the mirror and held out her right hand, which had a grey mark resembling a Greek Phi (Φ).

"Oh no you don't!" Keishi quickly grabbed onto the Arkon's leg as she was pulled into the Mirror Dimension along with Yuga and the Arkon.

"No!" Ryoma ran over to the three of them just too late as they landed on the table chairs of The Mirror Dimension's version of the room.

Suddenly, the door burst right open. It was Takumi.

"What the hell is going on?!" He was gasping for breath, having seemingly run all the way to the police station.

"To be honest... I don't know." Ryoma stared intently at the mirror.

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As for stories that have been finished, Yuga (Senku) made a cameo in Sanokal's Yu-Gi-Oh! Dissidia, which is basically a mega-crossover of all the various YGO series. The chapter was written by me, and the duel scripted by the both of us. Check him & the story out here: /s/10926471. And for those who are joining us from this story, hi! I'm sorry I'm such a disappointment.

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Anyway, the season of Zarcmas is upon us and the decade is nearly over. I'll do what I can to get Chapter 3 done as soon as possible, but until then, see ya & goodnight.


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